


Fool's Gold

by shallowheart



Category: MCND (Band), Stray Kids (Band), TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: "hey val wtf is this???", Adorable Huening Kai, And other pirate things, Angry Choi Beomgyu, Angst, Backrubs, Best Friends Huening Kai & Kang Taehyun, Best Leader Choi Soobin, Character Death, Crack Treated Seriously, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Excessive Research, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gay Pirates, Guns, HA WRITING THAT HAS THE "LINK HAS A POTTY MOUTH" TAG POP UP, HAVE I EVER WRITTEN SOMETHING WITHOUT FEELINGS? NO, Hey, Hurt/Comfort, I had to write these tags out twice and I don't remember half of them its like 1am, I know more about pirates than I should as a 21st century 17 year old child, I studied several nights' worth of sleep for this, I'll try to keep all the triggering stuff tame, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Is it One Piece? Maybe, M/M, Multi, Naive Huening Kai, Near Death Experiences, OKAY I KNOW WHAT YOURE THINKING, Pirates, Plundering, Potty Mouths, Protective Kang Taehyun, Sand in places Sand should not be, Slow Burn, Swearing, Tiny Choi Beomgyu, Ty for coming to my TED talk, Tyunning Soulmates, Violence, WELL LISTEN UP, WILL I START NOW? ALSO NO, Whipped Choi Yeonjun, Yeonbin Soulmates, a little bit, absolutely not, backstories, do i mind?, he smol and furious, he'll go to hell and back for soobin and they all know it, i'm stanning them separately out of this!!! still remembering everyone's faces, if you dont know what One Piece is just read, if you're here for mcnd i am sorry, like a lot, maybe a lot bit but I promise Kai isn't a discount luffy, probably, they're not characterized correctly at all, yknow cause im nice like that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:00:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23606434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shallowheart/pseuds/shallowheart
Summary: “I constantly pack my pockets full of worthless trinkets, and in such misguided gorging I leave my heart empty and my soul emaciated because I have forgotten everything but trinkets.”― Craig D. Lounsbrough______Kai's plan was simple: Pass the Tournaments, become Pirate King, and overthrow the World Government!...Okay, maybe it wasn't that simple. But the addition of Choi Beomgyu (aggressive, ruthless, spine-meltingly scary and good-looking to boot), didn't make it any easier to achieve.He's just gonna have to sail right into the eye of the storm, won't he?At least he owns a compass.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Huening Kai, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, One Sided Kang Taehyun/Huening Kai
Comments: 28
Kudos: 38





	1. No Prey, No Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No prey, No pay (phrase):  
> Pirates received no pay for their services unless they captured prizes. This phrase is the piratical version of the one privateers used, “No purchase, no pay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't feeling very well today, so I said "hecc it" and finished up this draft before the next chapter of my other story. I might write that other chapter by the end of the day still, depending on if i feel any better or not :/.  
> regardless, enjoy!

Beomgyu twists his wrists, feeling the ropes burn and loosen, and bares his teeth. Jitae grins at him, gleefully waving and dancing, before pulling Beomgyu’s face up to his until they’re nose to nose.

“You have no _idea,”_ he says, “how long we’ve been waiting for this, you fucking _asshole.”_

Beomgyu raises an eyebrow. The stacked barrels beside them teeter dangerously over the rails when the ship breaks a wave, but he holds his ground.

Jitae doesn’t seem to care if he answers or not, “I mean, seriously. Three years, three fucking years of dealing with your bullshit. Did you think you were powerful? Did you think we _respected_ you?”

“Respect is overrated,” Beomgyu humors him bluntly, “You followed me because you were _afraid_ of me, and you still are.”

“Still is a little ambitious of you,” Jitae laughs, “Pick your words carefully.”

“Why? Do my last words before a keel-hauling pull on your heartstrings?” he mocks, sneering. It’s predictable, really. Giving him a common death.

But Jitae just jumps with joy again, “I _knew_ you’d say that, fuck. This is more fun than I expected!”

The two men―Beomgyu can’t even remember their names, that was always Jitae’s job―shove him back against the wooden edge. His fingers catch on the netting holding the barrels in place, causing him to grip it, let it hold him in place, too.

“You’re not getting keel-hauled,” Jitae hisses seriously, “You don’t even deserve that much, you little shit.”

“How many times did I tell you to fix your potty mouth?” Beomgyu tries, but he shudders despite himself. “Then, what, the authorities? Gonna get some good cash?”

“Nah. They don’t give rewards for your bounty, no way to confirm it’s really you,” Jitae rolls his shoulders, and the men hoist Beomgyu up so one has his hands under his arms and the other holds his feet. It clicks, then, what’s going to happen, and Beomgyu’s mind starts racing, because that’s not-

“Have fun floating out at sea, motherfucker. Give you four, five hours, tops. See you never.”

Beomgyu’s hands tighten on the ropes, and a scream rips from his throat as the men toss him overboard. The ropes give, and the topmost barrel slips over the edge along with him. The men curse, reaching for it, but there’s nothing for them to hold onto, and it drops without obstruction.

Beomgyu’s voice cuts out as both he, and the barrel, disappear under the waves. 

“Fuck,” one of the men says, “That shit was empty. What if he-”

Jitae rolls his eyes, “We’re _miles_ out; even if he does manage to hold on to it, it’d only buy him a few more hours before he’s too weak to hold on. A day, maybe.”

The waves roil, as if agreeing with him, and they leave both things behind speedily.

* * *

Kai rolls the incense between his fingertips, squinting at the grittiness of it.

“This is fake,” he says, tossing it to the side and flashing the shaking merchant a bright smile, “Please fetch the real cargo! We made a deal.”

The merchant bursts into tears. Kai cringes internally, but keeps up his bright smile as he sees a shadow at the window. Taehyun meets his eyes, drumming his hands on a crate full of fraudulent merchandise, and tilts his head at the door.

“There is no real cargo, is there,” Taehyun says, and the merchant cries even harder. Kai sighs.

How to get out of this, he wonders. Taehyun answers that question for him, moving him slightly to the side as a pistol round fires off through the window and where he’d been standing. The merchant screeches, ducking under the table, and Taehyun and Kai leap towards the opposite window as a rain of slamming falls upon the door. 

The glass gives way to Kai’s elbow, shattering easily, and Taehyun wastes no time pulling him through. They roll down the side of the hill, Kai’s world spinning at his ears as sand flies up in the air when the grass transitions into beach. They don’t stop moving even when they stop rolling, leaping forward across the sand and towards the docks.

From the ship, Minjae hoots and sets the gangplank down to meet the dock, “TOLD YOU SO!”

Kai rolls his eyes, diving onto the wooden floorboards like a gannet diving underwater, as he hears dull thuds land on the sand behind them. The gangplank shudders between the deck and the dock, moving side to side while they approach it even with Minjae holding it in place.

“Hurry hurry!” Seungmin urges, leaning over the side of the ship and waving urgently, “Don’t look back! Wait, maybe do-”

“What?!” Taehyun yells, before a bullet swings over his head. “ _HOLY BALLAST_ -”

“SORRY! Tried to warn you! Just _hurry up!_ ”

Kai runs up the plank, Taehyun’s fingers digging holes into his gloves, and dodges to the side as a bullet splinters into the upper edge of his ship. But he rolls on, air rushing out of his lungs as he falls onto the deck on his stomach, Taehyun landing on top of him and crushing him even more. Immediately, Minjae lifts the gangplank, groaning at the weight, and settles it on its side. 

“SEUNGMIN!” Kai roars, “ _GUNS!”_

“Right!” Seungmin snaps his fingers, pulling his long musket from its perch beside a water barrel, and loads it to return fire. 

Sungjun cheers, wrestling with one of the rigging ropes while Junhyuk works similarly, “Anchor’s up, and ropes are away! Two more minutes ‘til we can get out of here!”

“Just do it!” Taehyun supplies, snatching a powder flask from the box, flint and steel sparking to light it before he throws it out the side, peeking to see where it lands.

The explosion shoves the _Coral Star_ offshore and into the currents, wind hooking into her sails. Junhyuk yelps, dodging the mainmast’s boom and tying the final knot to secure the sail into place.

“Done! We can-” Sungjun’s barely finished talking before Kai’s already running to the stern and wrapping his hands around the helm, spinning its wheel to clear the shoreline.

The time it takes them to fully sail away is thick and tense, but Kai can breathe easier when they finally clear the range of fire and reach open water, thanking the gods for the lack of cannons on the island.

“Didn’t we tell you,” Minjae gasps, “to not trust merchants like that? Any slower and you’d get flogged, and we’d have to pick up lil bits ‘o ya off the ground.”

“Yeah yeah,” Kai groans, “Just-Taehyun, please help me set a course so we don’t get lost.”

He lies back on the deck as Taehyun takes control of the rudder, covering his face from the sun and Taehyun’s pitying stare, “It’s not actually your fault, you know. There’s always a risk of being reported if we try to make legitimate deals.”

“Mhm,” Junhyuk agrees, sitting behind Kai’s head while rubbing his raw hands, “The Tournament is close by. He probably got extra nervous, because he doesn’t know you’re just a weedy little squirt.”

“Are you sure _you_ get to call me that?” Kai raises an eyebrow, but he’s already smiling. “Go back to the kitchen, you big baby.”

“Oh no, the Captain’s portion of dinner fell overboard by accident, whatever shall I do?”

“Ack, I’m sorry, don’t starve me!”

“Oh, and his plate, too...I guess someone has to eat off the spare bowl.”

“JUNHYUK! DON’T YOU DARE! THAT ONE HAS A HOLE IN IT!”

“So sad…”

* * *

Mealtime doesn’t proceed as usual, no matter how much they try to pretend it’s normal. After being unable to close the deal, the meal tastes bland, even with Junhyuk’s special spice blend on his tongue. Huijun comes down from the crow’s nest and grabs his plate as normal, but instead of everyone sitting at the table they all scatter throughout the deck, so he rises into it once again.

Kai sighs, blowing on the stew, and licks his lips while staring over the port side. They’re slightly cracked from dehydration, and the air tastes salty around them.

Something hard slams into the back of his head, causing Kai to scream. He hears aborted laughter at a distance, and looks behind him to glare at Taehyun, who hasn’t even bothered hiding his sling or the follow-through of his throw.

“Stop sulking,” he says, stepping forward and pushing his legs through the bottom of the wooden rails like Kai has, swinging his legs over the side of the ship. “Tall people don’t get to sulk. You’re blessed, you know.”

The corner of Kai’s lip crawls over his canines, “Does that even make sense? Go eat an orange, I think scurvy’s getting you.”

Taehyun laughs, “I ate one this morning. If anyone’s getting it, it’s you, Mr. ‘I’m sitting on the side like a brooding bounty hunter and barely moving’.”

“Shush. I’m fine,” Kai hums, “Just thinking.”

“Really? Just that?” Taehyun gives him a hard stare. Kai feels a bead of sweat run down his back.

“It’s really just that!” 

Taehyun’s mouth twists, but he lets it go. Mentally, Kai also lets go of his self-pitying spiral.

He doesn’t lie to Taehyun, and he’s not about to start now.

“So-”

Huijun’s bell cuts Taehyun off, sobering the atmosphere and sending them scrambling to their feet. Minjae whistles superfluously, eyes scanning the horizon for what Huijun sees while leaning over the bow. Huijun clambers down and joins them, blinking his eyes and racing towards the edge of the ship.

“Is it the Navy?” Kai asks, gritting his teeth. 

“Can’t we get a break?” Sungjun groans. But Huijun shakes his head, pointing down into the water, off the starboard. They lean collectively to peek down, and Kai barely has to look to see what Huijun’s pointing at.

There’s a barrel, bobbing low in the water, with a boy on top of it. His upper body is on top of it face down, hugging it close and using it to lift himself out of the water occasionally. His head is on its side, looking up at them weakly, as if he didn’t have enough strength to do anything else.

Before he can stop himself, he shouts out, “Hold on! Don’t let go-We’re coming!”

“But-” Taehyun grabs the arm of Kai’s coat, “Do you think it’s safe?”

Kai looks at Taehyun. Looks at the boy floating in the water. Looks at Taehyun again.

Taehyun accedes, “Yeah, okay. Let me show you where the rope and hook is.”

Taehyun and Minjae lower the rope down, until it just barely dips below the waterline beside the boy. Taehyun calls out instructions, and he reaches out for it and delicately wraps it around himself obediently.

Kai bites his nails, drumming his fingers on the edge of the ship as they slowly inch him up, before diving forward and hooking his hands under his arms as soon as he’s close enough to the deck. Kai lifts him onto the ship gently, cradling him against his side as he finally gets a good look at him.

The boy’s hair is dark, slightly curled and dry thanks to the water. His lips are chapped and round, below a straight nose and above a sharp jawline. High cheekbones, brushed by long, dark lashes on large eyes. His irises are as dark as coal, staring straight into Kai’s soul as his eyelids flutter weakly.

Kai gulps. He opens his mouth, about to speak, before the Boy’s eyes fall shut entirely, rendering the breath he’d taken obsolete.

“Uhm,” he says instead, “Do we have an extra bunk?”

* * *

  
  


Beomgyu feels cold. Too cold, but parts of him feel too hot, like there’s something scalding against his freezing skin, and there’s parts of him that don’t feel anything at all.

Numb. 

There’s a weight on top of him, slight but noticeable, and his head pounds with sharp jabs that come and go. He tries to open his eyes, but it hurts: a combination of the light and a tight feeling in his eyelids that struggle to move when he tells them to. His hand twitches involuntarily, but it doesn’t listen to him, moving only a few centimeters off whatever surface―soft but abrasive, harsh and rubbing his skin until he feels like he’s peeling away―before falling back down. 

Then something warm― _hot_ ―lands tentatively in his palm, and he doesn’t know if he’d rather it stay there forever or leave immediately. It’s too much too soon, the warmth moving in tiny circles against his stiff hand and leaving tingling trails wherever it goes. Beomgyu settles on it staying, closing his fingers around it as best as he can. The thing moves back, but not entirely as if allowing Beomgyu to poke at it, and he recognizes the hardness of a fingernail, bitten down to a nub.

The finger is stiff, nervous, before Beomgyu’s hand twitches again and suddenly it’s not just a finger, but a whole hand holding his and―

He’s kind of worried about how warm the other person (it had to be a person, right? Davy Jones wouldn’t hold his fucking _hand_ ) is. Or maybe Beomgyu is just too cold. Either way, the heat feels like it’s about to burn his whole hand off at the wrist, with how much larger it is than his own. 

Beomgyu squeezes because even though it’s broiling, he can’t risk the cold seeping back into his bones. 

The person gets the message, interlacing their fingers and rubbing slightly at the back.

  
Beomgyu tries to open his eyes again, and all he sees is two brown circles― _warm, cookies?_ ―before he feels the wave of exhaustion sweep over him again and carry him away.


	2. Come About

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To bring the ship full way around in the wind. Used in general while sailing into the wind, but also used to indicate a swing back into the enemy in combat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like people liked this? I'm still working on my other fic, but this chapter was born during BangBangCon so I wanted to get it out!

“Eight hours until rendezvous,” Taehyun murmurs from the doorway. Kai nods, smiling, before his eyes inevitably drift down and scan over the cot. Taehyun sighs, knocking on the wood on the wall, and Kai’s eyes snap to him and refocus, “Did you hear what I said?”

“Of course I did!” Kai whines, “I nodded and everything!”

  
  
“Whoops, my bad,” Taehyun says, corner of his mouth twitching. He grabs a chair and pulls it up to the edge of the bed, looking the boy once over. Kai can  _ hear _ him judging.

The boy’s lips have lost the blue tint, and his body has stopped shivering for the most part. Kai’s hand is still wrapped around his, guiltily putting it back with a nonsensical apology after each time he stood up to reheat the wet towels with boiling water from the kitchen. Taehyun had to change the boy’s clothes into dry ones, borrowed from Kai’s closet, and had shown Kai the tiny, familiar emblems carved into the golden buttons.

Blunt snout. Long, streamlined body and fins. Barely visible painted stripes, but often seen clearly on a flag floating in the wind. A single, minuscule black diamond working as the eye, accompanied by indentations meant to symbolize rows of serrated teeth.

And there was only one crew this side of the globe with a tiger shark as their symbol. The Slate Man-Eaters were unfortunately named, ironic given practically the only ruthless practice they didn’t engage in was cannibalism.

Even while just thinking about them Kai felt the hairs on his arms stand on edge momentarily. He’d never seen them at work himself, only witnessed the aftermath. Most pirates, after a raid, left some people alive in the village or town they’d attacked-even if only to raid it again at a later time. Kai would often provide survivors with supplies, although they tended to get thrown out thanks to mistrust.

The scene after a Slate raid was very different from that. Rumors had it they’d begun using the emblem of the tiger shark after droves of them were seen at every island they hit, drawn to the frothy, bloodied beaches.

Somehow, Kai couldn’t bring himself to link  _ that _ with the fragile boy in front of him.

“He was probably a cabin boy,” he’d reasoned at Taehyun, “Look at him―he’s a stick!”

“So are you,” Taehyun had fired back, “And a cabin boy? With golden buttons? And  _ diamonds _ ?”

“He might’ve stolen it!” 

“And have it fit him perfectly?” Taehyun looked at him with both annoyance and understanding. Kai hated that the most, hearing himself sound ridiculous after Taehyun argued back.

But they were unable to come to a consensus on what the boy had been―because his wrists had been tied, meaning he had not been in the water by accident. Someone had thrown him off, and Kai would eat a bite straight out of the hull if it hadn’t been the crew aboard the main ship of that fleet.

He just hoped that the boy woke up, although he felt terrible for wanting it only to satisfy his own curiosity.

“You’re going to need to let go soon, you know,” Taehyun points out. Kai winces, “He could wake up lucid any minute.”

“But his hand is still cold,” Kai says. Taehyun rolls his eyes.

“Not your job. Just put a hot towel on it and call it a day, I think Junhyuk’s eyeing the helm again.”

Kai jumps up, but he forgets to let go from holding on too long, leading him to pull the boy halfway off the bed. Taehyun grimaces as the weight imbalance almost throws him onto the floor, and Kai squawks before kneeling and just barely catching him again.

“So light…” he says before he can stop himself. But Kai can tell that there’s a line of lean muscle in the boy’s body, signaling some sort of training or battle experience just as well as the small scars visible under the collar of his shirt.

Taehyun snaps his fingers, “Put him down already. You can’t seriously be letting your complex for small things get to you  _ now _ ? He’d probably be as embarrassed as a hermit crab if he found out you carried him like a princess all willy nilly because you thought he was light.”

“That was too many words to say a very simple thing,” Kai huffs, but lets the boy drop back on the cot. Taehyun ushers him out, asking that he wash off and do his job while promising to care for the boy properly because does Kai think he’s  _ stupid _ ?

And Kai leaves, throwing one last glance back, and can’t help but think that the boy looks too delicate to be fighting to the point he has so many scars around his neck.

* * *

Beomgyu wakes up, looks around, and lets out a stream of every curse he knows. It’s out of character for him, really. But he’s probably earned himself some cussing.

The boy beside the bed―bed? He’s on a bed? Yay! No more barrel!―is less than impressed. He squeezes the cloth he’d been holding over Beomgyu’s face, showering it with lukewarm water and succeeding in at least making his mouth snap shut with an obnoxious click.

“Speak that way around Kai and I’ll take your kneecaps,” he informs him bluntly, throwing the towel on his face so that (Beomgyu assumes) he can dry himself off. 

“What?” Beomgyu spits, sitting up, “Who is that? Who are you?”

The boy clicks his tongue, “Hold his hand for half a day and don’t even ask for his name. Aish, Kamal, what kind of people do you summon?”

Beomgyu remembers the hand. He remembers it very well, even remembers thinking  _ Oh, someone’s holding it, how nice, hope they don’t kill me _ .

It hadn’t really clicked there was actually _ someone _ until now, as evidenced by the way he practically feels the redness crawling up his face. The boy tilts his face, amused, and leans on the desk beside him. Beomgyu looks behind him out of habit, noting the rows of bunks tied against the wall, and the soft rocking of the dressers beside them.

“I’m Taehyun, by the way,” he says, as if he’d just walked in through the door, “What’s your name?”

“None of your-” Beomgyu starts to say, before he remembers. It hits him, the consequences of what happened now.

No longer does he have the backing of his fleet, the begrudging support of dozens of psychopaths who had nowhere else to go other than underneath his thumb. He’s not a terrifying captain anymore; Just your typical variation of crazy (or rather, vaguely-murderous opportunist).

Still, he can try again, can’t he? It'll take some time to build another fleet, but if he manages…   
  


“My name…” he says, “Isn’t something you can know.”

Taehyun’s nose scrunches with disgust, “Well aren’t you the most dramatic little twig I’ve ever seen. Who even says that anymore?”

“You-” Beomgyu’s eyebrow twitches. This guy wouldn’t be so brave if-

“It’s not like  _ I  _ care, but we do need an explanation,” Taehyun kicks the door that’d been slightly open shut. “What, did you expect us to just not  _ ask _ about anything?”

Beomgyu bristles, “You don’t need to  _ know _ anything. Leave me in a town with a shipyard and I’ll pay you back eventually, nothing more nothing less.”

“Ah, yes, let me just bow down and give you the key to our storeroom while I’m at it,” Taehyun grins sharply, “How dumb do you think I am? We had to change your clothes. You worked for the Slates, didn’t you?”

Beomgyu swallows. He’d forgotten about his coat―And now that he notices, his body is lighter. He’s wearing a shirt that’s too long and too wide, but he can’t find it within himself to be embarrassed when his situation has shifted so sharply.

“So what?” he says. Taehyun regards him, “They’re not gonna give you anything for me, in case you hadn’t noticed the ropes.”

“Yeah,” Taehyun’s eyes flash, “But you must’ve had a pretty big job, to be able to afford golden buttons. I’ve heard of what it’s like on those ships. So how did you manage to get that high up, only to piss someone off enough that they wanted you dead?”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re infuriatingly  _ nosy _ ,” Beomgyu spits, but his eyes tremble. They land on the chair beside the cot he’s sitting in. He braces himself to smash it over Taehyun’s head if necessary.

“Once or twice,” Taehyun quips back, following Beomgyu’s line of vision. Beomgyu curses mentally as he sees the cogs turning in the boy’s head, and he prepares to stand-

But Taehyun just opens the door. Beomgyu’s mouth falls open.

“I won’t ask anything else until you speak to my captain,” Taehyun says softly, demeanor moving from frigidity to something Beomgyu could almost call  _ welcoming _ , if he couldn’t see the penknife glinting at his waist. “Under one condition.”

Beomgyu’s heart hammers in his ears, but he forces himself to relax. Taehyun wasn’t the captain of this ship?

If this was what a crew member was like, Beomgyu isn’t sure he wants to meet the captain. At least not without his cutlass in hand.

“What condition,” he hears himself say more than ask, holding back a grimace when Taehyun’s face beams. It’s disturbing to see someone smile like that, so sincerely, when he knows it’s fabricated. Were it any other circumstance he would immediately assume it was real. 

He’s never met someone who can fake emotions that well. Not even Jitae could hide his derision for him like that, and the man lied as easily as he breathed.

Most likely entirely aware of how unsettling it is, Taehyun responds, “Tell us―me―your name. Your  _ real  _ name, not whatever fake persona you’ve probably built for situations like this.”

Beomgyu shudders, but nods, unable to help himself when he asks, “Why do you want to know?”

“I don’t,” Taehyun looks at him blankly, ”But honesty is our policy. Transparent pirates, yada yada yada.”

Beomgyu wants to laugh in his face, because he’s only known Taehyun, what, ten minutes? And he can already tell that he’s probably lied more in his whole life than anything else.

But he’s one to talk. He’s done the same. So he just rolls his eyes.

“Beomgyu,” he finally says, “And that’s Beomgyu  _ only _ . No nicknames or I break your spine, got it?”

Taehyun whistles in the perfect example of self-aware hypocrisy, “Harsh. Did your mother teach you to threaten people like that?”

“My mother taught me to do much worse,” Beomgyu scoffs, enjoying the way Taehyun’s eyebrows rise minutely, clearly unable to decipher whether he’s joking or not.

Beomgyu will leave that to his imagination, “So where’s your captain? If I’m going to be interrogated I’d rather get it over with.”

“Probably getting bullied in the upper decks,” Taehyun says breezily, but his  _ ew _ , his eyes are fond. They’re doing that thing he sometimes saw when he eavesdropped on his sailors talking about their wives back ‘home’, wherever it was. His best word to describe it would be squishy.

Beomgyu guesses they must be good friends, which means, “Are you the Quartermaster, then?”

“Huh? How’d you know?” Taehyun’s eyes are slightly round from surprise. The theory Beomgyu’s started to form in his head takes a deep inhale before exhaling out. Kind of like a brain fart, but less disgusting. Brain cough, or brain burp, if you will.

He just shrugs, “A feeling. Does this ‘bullying’ happen often?”

“You were so hostile a minute ago, and now you want to gossip with me?” Taehyun laughs. Beomgyu clenches his fists, repeating a mental mantra of  _ don’t break his face, don’t break his face _ …

“Ah, there it is,” Taehyun says, “Anyway, that information will be available later. To have the privilege of knowing about our captain you have to meet him first. Follow me for that, by the way.”

Beomgyu stands up. And he sits back down. Taehyun barks out another laugh as Beomgyu rubs his legs, hissing with pain at the sudden cramping feeling spider webbing from the bone all the way to his skin.

“Here, let me-” Taehyun starts, but Beomgyu holds up his hand. He digs his other nails into his thigh, letting the sharper ache center him, and stands up again. He sways back and forth for a moment, overcome with dizziness, and Beomgyu picks that moment to remember that he was kind of, maybe, possibly about to die.

It’s not the first time he’s been on the verge of death, but at least the other times had the decency to be out of a respectable method. Though, if he’s honest, the ocean might just be the most honorable way to die the world could give someone like him.

She spares no one. Not even Beomgyu.

“Let’s go,” he says after a moment.

Taehyun stares, mildly stunned. He deadpans, “Okay.”

Beomgyu walks behind him out the door, and gets a weird feeling that he’s missing something.

* * *

Kai squints at the binnacle, “Yikes.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Sungjun says, chuckling nervously, “Need any help?”

“Hm? Oh, No thank you!” Kai smiles, turning the helm a little to the right, “I just noticed I was veering a little. No biggie.”

“You’ve been at this for  _ hours _ ,” Minjae sings the last word, sighing. “Also, Sungjun, shouldn’t you be at the ropes? I think the wind is picking up.”

Sungjun disappears. Minjae snickers, “Ah, I love it when they panic like that.”

“You’re right, though,” Kai points out. The ocean breezes are pushing harder against the sails. A wave breaks dangerously close to the top of the bow, sending water splashing onto the deck.

Minjae waves him off, “Bah, that always happens around these parts. Sungjun’s just paranoid.”

“If you say so. You should probably fetch him another crew member, though,” Kai shrugs. He hears a thud out on the deck, and peeks to see Taehyun’s head popping through the hatch to the lower areas.

“Tae-” Kai starts to call, but after Taehyun comes up onto the deck he sees a head of dark hair pop up behind him, causing him to freeze.

The boy stumbles onto the deck with strained poise, taking a couple steps for stability before his back straightens. His hand comes up to shield his eyes from the sunlight, but he quickly trots behind Taehyun, who moves on without a word.

Moves towards the stern. Towards  _ Kai _ .

Minjae whistles away as Kai desperately tries to look even busier than he already is, scanning the edges of the horizon as well as he can with the sun’s reflection burning holes into his skull.

“Kai!” Taehyun smiles, “Is the course going okay?”

Kai, instinctively, sticks his tongue out with a small grin, “Ah, Yep! Everything’s-”

“You’re-” the boy’s voice is deep and low, popping in so suddenly that the silly smile freezes on Kai’s face, “Good holding up against the currents. I don’t see the needle moving too far.”

“Uhm, Thank you?” Kai purses his lips, “You’re awake!”

“Obviously,” the boy’s face twists into a sneer. Taehyun elbows him in the side, and suddenly Kai feels very, very lost, even though he knows pretty much exactly where his ship is going.

“This is the captain,” Taehyun says, “You can call him-”

“Kai,” he interrupts, leaning with an arm extended over the helm. The boy raises an eyebrow.

“This is the  _ captain _ ?” he says, disbelieving, shooting yet another hit to Kai’s frankly sturdy ego, “Do you have a death wish,  _ Kai _ ?”

“Uhm, what?” Kai blinks.

The boy rolls his eyes, “If you hit a hard current or wind right now you’d turn into a pile of meaty twist. A nod is enough.”

Taehyun grimaces, putting his face in his hand, “How? How does this happen? This is a nightmare. Can we just throw him off, no questions asked?”

“Taehyun, no,” Kai denies, “We’ve talked about this. Problems can’t be solved by just throwing them off the boat.”

“So I’m a  _ problem _ now?” the boy  _ giggles _ . It’s a sarcastic laugh, by any means, but it’s tittering and high and Kai has to suppress his own laughter at his own expense. “Let me fix it for you: Just leave me on the mainland your next visit, and I’ll pay you back in a couple years or so.”

“Well,” Kai bites his lip. Reasonable, but why does it feel  _ wrong _ ?

“Ignore him,” Taehyun says, “He’s trying to get out of questions. Aren’t you, Beomgyu?”

Kai rolls the name around in his head as Beomgyu scrunches his nose in distaste. It suits the boy’s features, somehow. Kai wishes he was as lucky, to have a name that fit him.

“I think-” Kai says, “I think that we should sit down and talk. SEUNGMIN!”

Beomgyu winces at the volume, and Kai sends him a mental apology as Seungmin scrambles up.

“Y-Oh, he’s up, nice-Yeah?” Seungmin blinks, scratching at his shoulder. Kai gestures towards the helm, and Seungmin nods wordlessly before grabbing it himself, grunting to keep it in position.

Kai mutters a low 'Thank You' and turns to face Taehyun and Beomgyu again, crossing his arms, “So. Let’s go do that, shall we?”


	3. Bring A Spring Upon Her Cable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To come around in a different direction, oftentimes as a surprise maneuver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *vanishes off twitter*
> 
> *still writing this shit* #sorrynotsorry

Kai’s eyes follow Beomgyu’s fingers drumming on the kitchen table as Taehyun fetches some cups of water, following a stalemate between Kai and Taehyun on who would get them before Kai just sat down.

“You know I can see you, right?” Beomgyu says, flattening his fingers against the wood. Kai flinches, mostly at the fact that he can _see_ a splinter just beside Beomgyu’s thumb rather than shame at being ‘caught’.

“Of course I do,” he replies, shoving a foot against the leg of the table so the splinter moves away. Beomgyu doesn’t jump, though he does pull his hand up. “I was just wondering if your hand was still cold.”

Kai has to resist falling off his chair as Beomgyu nearly _snarls_ at him, leaning forward over the table, “ _Really_ ? Would you like to feel it? As a _fi_ -”

“Down, boy,” Taehyun chides, voice tilting in the intentionally patronizing tone that Kai’s been on the receiving end of too many times, setting two cups of water in front of them and sitting on the chair at the end of the table to nurse at his own. Beomgyu’s mouth clicks shut, and he leans back against his chair into perfect posture.

Kai is intrigued. Taehyun must like Beomgyu, to leave it at that.

“Do you want to start,” Kai smiles at Beomgyu, who crosses his legs under the table and turns up his nose, “Or would you rather we go on and ask?”

Beomgyu says nothing. Taehyun snickers into his cup.

Kai’s smile strains a little, wanting to widen into a grimace, but Kai just blinks and lets it drip down with less teeth and more passiveness, “I guess we ask, then. What were you doing on the barrel?”

“Hm,” Beomgyu’s hand goes to grip the cup in front of him delicately, bringing it to his lips so he can take a sip.

A _long_ sip. A long, _long_ sip, until Kai knows he’s not drinking anymore by the lack of motion of Beomgyu’s Adam's apple. _Must’ve been thirsty_ , Kai considers. Beomgyu had spent an unknown amount of time out there, after all.

Finally, Beomgyu sets down the empty cup, licking his lips, “I was holding on so I wouldn’t sink.”

“Ah. And, uh, how did you get on it?”

“I swam up to it when I hit the water.”

“I see. How did you get into the water?”

“I dropped over the side of a ship.”

“You mean you fell?” Kai’s heart swells. Maybe Beomgyu hadn’t been thrown overboard!

“No. What, you think I threw myself willingly?” Beomgyu raises an eyebrow. Kai’s heart deflates, and he can almost hear the comical little sound it would make.

“No! I mean, I don’t know? That’s why I’m-”

“This is actually _painful_ ,” Taehyun snorts, “Just say you got thrown off and _why_ , you lichen.”

Beomgyu clicks his tongue, “Killjoy.”

“Ah,” Kai says, sighing deeply, “Can you…”

“Whatever,” Beomgyu groans, twisting his head and resting back into a more comfortable position with his arm wrapped around the back of the chair, “It’s not like you’ll believe me, anyway.”

“I think we’ll believe anything at this point,” Taehyun’s eyes scan over Beomgyu’s frame. Beomgyu curls his top lip over his teeth at him, before locking eyes with Kai.

“I got thrown off because I was the captain,” Beomgyu says without fanfare, “And they thought I’d overstayed my welcome.”

Dead silence.

“‘Anything’,” Beomgyu smirks, “But not that far of anything, huh?”

Taehyun puts down his cup frigidly as Kai’s head whirrs, processing. Captain? Of the Slates? _Him_?

He hates the fact that he can somewhat see it, because he wants to be cynical about this. But Beomgyu’s eyes are level, unshaking as the square of his shoulders, and Kai gets a feeling that he’s not lying.

And that feeling sends a prickle of panic down his spine.

“We don’t _not_ believe you,” Taehyun admits, and Kai knows that Taehyun got the same feeling he did, “But it's hard to see. You’re not exactly the blubbering homicidal maniac we’d have pinned you for.”

Beomgyu sniffs, “You flatter me. I don’t care if you believe me or not. After all, it’s not what I am anymore.”

“So it’s true, then,” Kai blurts out, “‘There’s no loyalty among sharks’.”

Kai wants to throw himself under the keel, but he freezes as Beomgyu’s neutral yet confident stare starts to feel more like he’s had a bucket of seawater dumped on his head.

Beomgyu, for the first time since they’ve met, smiles.

“Who came up with that?” he asks, switching the sides his legs are crossed on, “I’d have to congratulate them. Got it in one.”

Kai opens his mouth to answer, but Beomgyu continues, “At least, they’re right for the kind of _loyalty_ people usually mean. Who needs respect, or admiration-”

“...when you have _fear_?” Beomgyu’s eyes move onto Taehyun, who twists his mouth at him in a less-than impressed way,

“Clearly you do,” Taehyun hisses, acidity seeping from his lips, “Considering you’re here instead of with your crew.”

“I think we’re getting an unkind aura,” Kai laughs nervously, “Should we get back on track?”

“Sure,” Beomgyu says cheerfully, before his smile drops, “Any more parts of my life you wanna go gallivanting in, or are you ready to talk business?”

“Business is fine,” Taehyun murmurs. Kai makes a mental note to talk to him about antagonizing not-visibly-bloodthirsty guests later, and tacks on to also review his own brain-to-mouth filter.

“You guys aren’t privateers, right?” Beomgyu hums, picking at the cuticle on his index finger with his thumbnail, “And this ship is too nice for you to be buccaneers. Are you merchants, then?

“Something like that,” Kai agrees, brighter grin blooming on his face, “We trade, but we have the occasional...indulgence.”

“By which he means we rough up military stations,” Taehyun adds, “They don’t like that.”

“Ah,” Beomgyu’s eyes could cut steel, “Righteous pirates. Let me guess, sob story involving big bad military men taking your stuff?”

Kai’s grin vanishes instantly, replaced with an ashy taste in his mouth. Beomgyu’s eyes widen as Kai straightens, frown marring his brow, and Taehyun’s chair squeals as he goes to stand up and extends an arm out.

Not in front of Beomgyu, but in front of Kai.

Kai’s voice is placid, “Don’t go there. Not if you need something from us.”

Beomgyu regards Kai thoughtfully. He nods a begrudging acceptance, but doesn’t offer an apology.

Kai doesn’t need one. 

“Why am I surrounded by dramatic people?” Taehyun sighs, but his hand comes down slowly, “Any more and we can build a floating theater.”

Kai relaxes, lips parting easily for a lazy laugh, “I think you’ve made that joke before.”

“Really?” Taehyun puts a hand up to his chin, “Oh, when Huijun choked on the grape, you mean?”

“I was thinking more when Sungjun fell into the rotten plank.”

“Ah, that makes three times. I need to build a new repertoire.”

“Originality is important,” Beomgyu volunteers, “Can we actually focus, this time?”

“Whoops,” Kai scratches his wrist, “You know the area, probably. I doubt you floated very far. We’re headed towards-”

“Savos,” Beomgyu nods. Kai can see a flash of something appear for a fraction of a moment in his eyes, but it’s gone too quickly to identify. “If you’re pirates, then you’re going to the Tournament beginning. So was I, but now…”

“Can’t say it’s a pity,” Taehyun huffs dryly, “Full offense.”

A knock on the door has the reprimand dying on Kai’s tongue. He swallows it down, turning to see Junhyuk poking his head into the kitchen, “We’re about an hour out. Can I have my kitchen back now?”

“Just one last thing,” Kai promises. Junhyuk closes the door, and Kai turns to face the two again, “Is Savos a good enough choice for you?”

“The harbor is big enough for me,” Beomgyu concedes, “But there’s probably not too many loose crewmen in there.”

“You plan to build another fleet?” Taehyun wonders. 

“What else would I do?” Beomgyu blinks at him.

Kai doesn’t have time to dwell on that. Seungmin gets nervous at the helm when they approach islands. “So, Savos: yes or no?”

“Mainland is preferrable,” Beomgyu responds, “If you’re willing to wait for me to pay you back.”

Kai and Taehyun share a look. Taehyun nods, minutely, and very hesitantly, but it's enough for Kai.

“Fine by us,” he says, and gets up to open the door.

* * *

Kai has only been to Savos three times: Once, to try to register for the first Tournament, long before he should have even thought about it, and twice searching for information. The thing he remembers the most about each time is, upon the approach, how the constant smell of salt in the air seemed to grow even stronger around the island. He vaguely remembers a jab at the concentration of pirate affairs on it, courtesy of Taehyun, but the memory of the exact words has faded.

The smell hasn’t. It hits them square in the face as they approach the docks carefully, and Junhyuk gags behind him, sensitive nose flailing. Kai wrinkles his own, wishing he’d had the foresight to at least cover his face with a damp cloth so it would be muted, and waves a hand for the anchor.

Docking is quick. Routine. Before Minjae lowers the gangplank, Kai rubs his bounty poster on the foremast, a little bout of superstition they started when the first iteration of the posters came out. The Military sketcher never quite got all his moles right.

On the following dock, Kai can see a Galleon struggling into the harbor, flag fluttering weakly. He doesn’t envy the captain of ships that size.

Taehyun summons his main crew to the center of the deck, accompanied by Beomgyu, and faces him.

“It’s Junhyuk’s turn,” Kai says to the rest, causing the boy to pump his fist into the air.

Beomgyu tilts his head, “What’s this?”

“We have a system for who comes with us when it’s safe to,” Taehyun explains, “You’re coming too, by the way.”

“Ah? Why?” Beomgyu complains.

“Don’t trust you,” Kai provides, grinning guilelessly. Beomgyu cracks his knuckles, clenching a fist and pinching his thigh. “Is there anyone who can recognize you?”

Beomgyu has to think about that, then. He waves his hand in a ‘so-so’ twist, “Not exactly. I don’t keep track of the crews that have seen my face or not.”

“Didn’t,” Taehyun says quietly, pulling a short bandanna out of his pocket, “But that’s fine. Wear this.”

Beomgyu takes it gingerly, rubbing the fabric between his fingers before tying it behind his head so it rests across the bridge of his nose.

If it were up to Kai, he’d pick something that could hide his eyes, instead. Or maybe they just make him uncomfortable, he tells himself, because Beomgyu’s eyes are certainly an intense feature. 

As if reading his thoughts, Taehyun catches his gaze, gunpowder irises scanning him for doubt and other issues. Kai shakes his head and moves towards the gangplank.

There’s no clear transition into the crowd of people on the island. It seems like one moment they’re on the spacious wooden and stone docks, the next they’re among squatting buildings and hot bodies, pressing in from all sides and bringing the temperatures up even higher than the sun in the sky. The only reprieve they get from its heat is when an occasional tree or thatch roof gets in the way, but it’s not for long as they get replaced by taller, sturdier buildings that bring longer bits of shadow with them. The ground underfoot is equally sweltering, rough stones laid out unevenly to make roads distinguishable from walkways next to the buildings. On all the walls, a mosaic of ‘Wanted’s and paintings, as well as splashes of colour in the form of flowers or curtains lightening the suffocating feeling of the street.

Junhyuk is the victim of Taehyun’s arm-grabbing this time, much to his chagrin. Kai spots Beomgyu smirking evilly as the boy whines for Taehyun to let go, and can’t help the twitch of his undereye.

Kai uses his height to his advantage, peering over the heads he can for the name of the meeting area until he catches sight of the familiar raised boxes of the center. He grabs Junhyuk’s hand, almost doing the same for Beomgyu’s before pausing and choosing instead to gesture for him to follow.

He guides them to the square, when he suddenly gets a slimy feeling down his neck, the closer he gets to the front. Beside the raised stage is a simple crate, bearing the shiny Tournament tokens with a burly man guarding them, and realizes he can’t avoid approaching entirely. Kai lets go of Junhyuk and risks going forward alone, diving his fingers into the tokens just enough so they close around metal, and sinks back into the crowd, nearly running face first into Taehyun.

“Did you get it?” Taehyun whispers, poking at Kai’s closed hand. Kai opens his fingers, revealing two nearly-soft, neat, little silver coins. On one side, a skull, and on the other, an octopus. Both printed into the coin with gold.

He’s not supposed to have two; a slip of the hand, but relatively harmless as he shoves both of them into the hidden pouch at his waistband. Kai looks back at the stage and is surprised to see a large clock he hadn’t noticed, slowly ticking away closer and closer to the designated time.

Only one more person gets a Token before the time hits: A tall, black-haired man, accompanied by a shorter blond who waves at the guard before they too disappear into the masses. 

“Is it starting?” Junhyuk leans against Kai and goes on the tips of his toes, eyes scanning the stage. A stout man steps up from behind the clock, answering his question and causing his eyes to bug out, “Is that-”

“The last Pirate King,” Beomgyu interrupts. Kai shudders, looking down at his unblinking gaze locked onto the man on the stage, “He looks like his bounties.”

Taehyun rolls his eyes, “Of course he does. That’s the point.”

“Oh, you-” Beomgyu bares his teeth, but quiets down as the Pirate King slams down a foot on the stage, sending a loud dull ring echoing over the crowd and thrusting them into sudden, all-encompassing silence.

There’s barely sound, barely a breath and a shuffle, no one daring to risk interrupting the King even though he hasn’t even started speaking yet. The display has Kai’s fingertips growing numb.

Could he command that kind of reaction, if he won? Or would the authority pass him by?

Something hot flushes feeling back into his limbs as he thinks, _well, I’m going to find out_.

“If you are just here to watch,” the Pirate King says, voice deep and more good-natured than Kai pictured it being, “Kindly go back home, or at least leave some room. We can’t work packed to the gunnels, can we?”

A few scattered laughs, and then a great rush towards the back. Kai hadn’t realized just how big the square was until there’s suddenly a mere fraction of the amount of people there used to be, happening in mere minutes. They’re now closer to the edge of the circle than the center, prompting the whole group of remaining humans—challengers, competition, because it’s a _contest_ now—to move forward and spread out subconsciously.

Kai looks beside him, sees the same tall, dark-haired man and the blond, who sees him looking and sends him the biggest grin he’s ever seen on a person coupled with a wave. Resisting the temptation to cover his eyes, Kai sends a weak wave, smile and bow combo in return. The black-haired man turns to see what his companion is looking at, and Kai feels just a little bit daring enough to give him what he hopes is a competition-inspiring wink.

Taehyun pinches his side as the man gawks and smiles with surprise, turning away and facing back to the front.

“Quit fraternizing with the enemy,” Taehyun whispers, throwing his chin out towards the few people left still watching. Junhyuk snickers as a flash of shame crawls up Kai’s front.

Beomgyu clears his throat, tosses his head towards the front, and Kai’s expression smoothens out as he draws his eyes back towards the stage.

“Welcome,” the Pirate King says, arms coming out to gesture to the challengers, “To the Tournaments. We are all gathered here today because I don’t feel like being the ‘big man in charge’ anymore, so, any takers?”

No one laughs. The King chortles, “Bad joke. Now, I’m sure most of you are aware of how it works, but I’m bound to explain it by our dearest Piracy Codes, so excuse the monologue.

“All of the captains who wish to participate in the Tournaments must have their tokens already. Didn’t get one? Bad luck, try again next time, whenever that is. You must present that token again in six months, back here, along with any others you might have taken from your rivals.”

Kai’s pouch suddenly feels a lot heavier against his leg. 

“Additionally, you must provide evidence of having completed the challenges listed in sheets of paper that Seojoon will give you,” the King smiles, gesturing to the burly man beside the stage, “At the end of the Tournaments, whomever has the most tokens, as well as the most challenges completed, will be the new Pirate King. Simple.”

“Of course,” he says again, “If you do not have enough tokens to beat your rival, you may use a little bonus system we have. There is a list of the top three bounties, as stated by the World Government, included in the sheets of paper. If you find these men or women, and bring their bodies to us, they will count as tokens just as well.”

Kai cringes as Taehyun murmurs, “Bodies? Last time it was-”

“Alive or dead,” Kai finishes, “Someone wants them dead _only_ this time.”

Seojoon hands the King three sheets of paper, and he waves them in the air, “Here’s the most recent iterations of their posters! Fresh off the press, just for you. In third place, at a value of three tokens, we have the ‘Fleet Killer Zico’, Woo Ji-ho. I’m sure you all know him.”

“Too well,” Beomgyu mutters as the King shows the poster to the crowd. Ji-ho’s face is scowling in the ink, long scar splitting his mouth neatly in two, “He’s sunk three of my ships. Took a blow.”

Kai whistles as the King continues, “Second, we have ‘Queen’ Kwon Bo-ah. A toughie! Good luck getting near her. Six tokens.”

“And finally,” the King’s smile turns poisonous. Kai’s stomach roils violently, “We have a bit of a treat.”

Kai frowns. Treat? The word has something nasty crawling underneath his skin, a bad feeling blooming in his gut.

He doesn’t like this.

“The first bounty...has changed,” the King says, drawing startled gasps from the rest of the audience, “I know! But it seems someone was finally able to reveal to the Government the one thing they’ve been looking for. We got the first copy here, folks! For ten _whole_ tokens, in first place…”

Something clicks in Kai’s mind. His eyes widen, and the bad feeling is transformed into a pool of pure unadulterated panic all over his body.

“Beomgyu,” he says hurriedly, name rolling off his tongue for the first time. The pirate turns to him, a little startled, “Cover up-Take my coat-”

Kai’s not thinking anymore as he shoves his hooded coat over Beomgyu’s head, as Beomgyu squawks indignantly, “What the-What are you doing?”

He stops struggling as soon as the Pirate King finishes his sentence, body turning to ice under Kai’s coat.

“...The Captain of the Slate Man-Eaters, _Choi Beomgyu_ !” the King absolutely _loses_ it; He cackles like mad as he holds up the poster, Beomgyu’s coal-like eyes and sharp jaw standing out against the paper like they were drawn in blood. “This one was a surprise to _me_ ! I wouldn’t’a thought that the Captain would look like _that_ at all! First poster after this long, must be a record somewhere.”

“How does he..?” Beomgyu mumbles, stricken, “How did they get that? How did they even get my _last_ name? That’s-”

“To discuss another time,” Taehyun bundles the coat closer around Beomgyu, voice raising slightly as he speaks to dissuade suspicion. “This is why you shouldn’t be out in the sun so long! Your skin burns so easily.”

Junhyuk’s body, stiff against Kai’s side, lunges to be part of the charade. Kai gives his attention back to the King, who drawls his closing, “A tip: Try not to kill them too soon. Can't prove nuthin' with a skeleton. If you manage to get that first one, there's another option if you bring him in alive, but the details are for then only. So, Capn’s, that’s all I got for you. Come get your lists.”

The Pirate King waves one last time, before stepping off the stage and leaving without so much as a good-bye. Kai feels particularly inclined to find his house and vomit in every single one of his shoes.

Or maybe he’ll just throw up right then and there, because he feels sick down to the marrow of his bones even as he grabs the flimsy sheet of paper and comes back.

“Let’s head back to the ship,” Taehyun says somberly. Kai turns towards the harbor-

And is greeted by the barrel of a pistol.

“Tokens, please,” the man-a stranger, brown hair and weak chin, says. Kai looks back to the stage in disbelief, finds the participants already gone, and Seojoon the same.

No time to rest, Kai realizes.

The Tournament has already begun.


End file.
